No Other Choice
1278 Words
Aria didn’t sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the contract.
Every time she tried to forget it, she remembered the numbers.
The debt.
The loans.
The employees who depended on Bennett Manufacturing.
And Damian Blackwood’s words.
You have six days remaining.
By sunrise, she was still sitting on her couch, wrapped in a blanket and staring at the city outside her apartment window.
Her phone buzzed.
It was her father.
“Morning.”
His voice sounded exhausted.
Just like she felt.
“Morning.”
There was a pause.
“Any news?”
“No.”
Neither of them needed to say more.
No investors.
No miracle.
No solution.
The silence stretched between them.
Finally, Richard sighed.
“I have another meeting this afternoon.”
“With who?”
“A private investor.”
Hope sparked inside her.
“Really?”
“He probably won’t say yes.”
“But he might.”
Her father gave a small laugh.
“Maybe.”
After ending the call, Aria forced herself to get dressed and head to the office.
The atmosphere inside Bennett Manufacturing had changed.
People smiled when they saw her.
They greeted her.
Asked about projects.
Talked about next month’s plans.
None of them knew the truth.
None of them knew they could all be unemployed within days.
The thought made her chest ache.
As she entered her office, her assistant hurried toward her.
“Miss Bennett.”
“What is it?”
“The bank called.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Already?”
The assistant nodded nervously.
“They want a meeting.”
Aria closed her eyes.
That couldn’t be good.
Not at all.
An hour later, she sat across from two representatives from the bank.
Their expressions told her everything before they even spoke.
“We’ve reviewed the situation.”
Aria’s fingers tightened around her coffee cup.
“And?”
One of the men cleared his throat.
“The board has decided to move forward with collection proceedings.”
The words hit like a punch.
“What does that mean?”
“It means the timeline has changed.”
Fear crawled up her spine.
“What timeline?”
The woman beside him answered.
“Unless the outstanding debt is resolved, the company will be placed into receivership within seventy-two hours.”
Aria froze.
Seventy-two hours.
Not six days.
Not seven.
Three.
Three days.
Her mouth went dry.
“There must be some mistake.”
“I’m afraid not.”
Three days.
Everything was happening faster than expected.
Much faster.
The meeting ended in a blur.
She barely remembered walking back to her office.
Barely remembered sitting down.
Three days.
Three days before everything ended.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
Her father stepped inside.
The moment she saw his face, she knew.
The investor had said no.
Richard slowly lowered himself into a chair.
“He passed.”
The final piece of hope shattered.
Aria looked away.
She couldn’t bear seeing the disappointment in his eyes.
For several moments neither spoke.
Then her father noticed the black folder on her desk.
The one she had brought home.
The one she couldn’t stop thinking about.
His expression darkened.
“You’re considering it.”
It wasn’t a question.
Aria remained silent.
“Aria.”
“We have three days.”
Her father closed his eyes.
“We’ll figure something out.”
“No.”
The word slipped out before she could stop it.
Richard looked stunned.
“No?”
“We’ve been saying that for months.”
Her voice cracked.
“We kept saying we’d find another way.”
She stood.
Emotion rushed through her.
“But there isn’t another way.”
Her father looked heartbroken.
“I can’t ask you to do this.”
“You’re not asking.”
The room fell silent.
Because they both knew the truth.
She was choosing.
Not because she wanted to.
Because she had run out of alternatives.
That evening, Aria returned home feeling completely drained.
She barely made it through her apartment door before collapsing onto the couch.
The contract sat on her coffee table.
Waiting.
Almost taunting her.
Her phone suddenly rang.
An unknown number.
She almost ignored it.
Almost.
Instead, she answered.
“Hello?”
A deep voice answered immediately.
“Miss Bennett.”
Her heart skipped.
She knew that voice.
Damian Blackwood.
“How did you get this number?”
A hint of amusement touched his tone.
“You signed it yourself on the visitor registry yesterday.”
Of course he had noticed.
She hated that she wasn’t surprised.
“What do you want?”
“I wanted to know how your meeting with the bank went.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
“How do you know about that?”
“Because I pay attention.”
The answer somehow annoyed her even more.
She gripped the phone tighter.
“You seem very interested in my business.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
Silence.
For a moment she thought he might actually answer.
Instead he said,
“Have you made your decision?”
Straight to the point.
Typical.
“No.”
“You don’t have much time.”
Her jaw tightened.
“I know.”
Another pause.
Then Damian’s voice softened slightly.
Not warmer.
Just less cold.
“I won’t pressure you, Miss Bennett.”
That was a lie and they both knew it.
“But my offer expires tomorrow evening.”
Aria sat upright.
“What?”
“If you haven’t signed by then, I’ll assume you’re no longer interested.”
Panic flashed through her.
Tomorrow?
Why tomorrow?
“That’s not fair.”
“Life rarely is.”
The line went quiet.
Then he added,
“Goodnight, Aria.”
The use of her first name sent an unexpected shiver through her.
Before she could respond, he ended the call.
Aria stared at the phone.
Then at the contract.
Then back at the phone.
Tomorrow evening.
That was all the time she had left.
The next morning, she walked into Bennett Manufacturing and immediately knew something was wrong.
Employees were gathered in small groups.
Whispering.
Looking worried.
Her assistant rushed toward her.
Pale.
Shaken.
“Miss Bennett.”
“What happened?”
The young woman swallowed.
“The bank…”
Fear slammed into Aria.
“What about the bank?”
“They’ve started freezing company accounts.”
For a second, the world stopped.
The company wasn’t dying anymore.
It was already being buried.
Aria slowly turned toward her office.
Toward the black folder waiting on her desk.
Toward the impossible choice she’d been avoiding.
And for the first time…
she realized she already knew her answer.
Two hours later, a black town car pulled up in front of Blackwood International Headquarters.
The tallest building in the city.
Aria stepped out.
Her pulse hammered against her ribs.
She looked up at the glass skyscraper.
Then at the signed contract in her hand.
There was no turning back now.
Inside, the receptionist immediately recognized her.
“Miss Bennett.”
Aria swallowed.
“I’m here to see Damian Blackwood.”
The receptionist smiled.
“As expected.”
As expected?
Before Aria could ask what that meant, she was escorted toward a private elevator.
The doors opened.
And there he was.
Damian Blackwood.
Waiting.
As though he’d known she would come.
His gray eyes dropped to the contract in her hand.
Then lifted to meet hers.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
The smile of a man who had never doubted the outcome.
“Welcome, Miss Bennett.”
Aria’s grip tightened around the signed papers.
Damian extended his hand.
“Shall we discuss the terms of our marriage?”
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD